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New work spaces have been included as part of a renovation project at the West Bloomfield Police Department. The project is expected to be completed toward the end of December.
Photo provided by Curt Lawson
WEST BLOOMFIELD — The West Bloomfield Police Department is currently in the midst of a major renovation project.
The three-phrase project began in March and is expected to be finished toward the end of December.
The Board of Trustees unanimously approved a resolution to authorize the issuance of bonds in an amount not to exceed $6.5 million to finance the Police Department building project in February.
There were no public comments from residents at the township board meeting.
According to an email from Township Supervisor Steven Kaplan, it is a 20-year bond with a “true interest” of 3.519264%. He noted that West Bloomfield has a AAA bond rating, which is the highest in Michigan.
Phase one was completed near the end of July and included upgraded flooring, new paint, new workspaces and upgraded tile and restrooms for the Patrol Division; the implementation of a new communications center for 911 dispatchers who service the Police Department, the Orchard Lake Police Department, the Keego Harbor Police Department, the Sylvan Lake Police Department and the West Bloomfield Fire Department; an additional unisex bathroom; and a wellness room where employees can get peer support.
Phase two began around the beginning of August and includes remodeling the lobby, front desk and records bureau as well as expanding a training room.
This phase of the project also includes building an outbuilding for additional storage.
Phase three of the project includes the remodeling and expansion of locker rooms for men and women, as well as building of a dedicated space for a “VIRTRA SYSTEM” for de-escalation and “use of force state of the art training.”
West Bloomfield Police Department Deputy Chief Curt Lawson shared his aspirations for the building project.
“We’re looking for a modern police department with increased efficiencies,” he said. “We want to have this continue to be a destination department for talent to come to, and being that we had a department that was built in 1991 that had never been renovated, never been modernized, this was a wise investment on behalf of the township, and we’ll be able to continue to attract the talent that we need and our residents expect.”
In a phone interview with the Beacon, Kaplan said that when the West Bloomfield Police Department was built in 1991 there were 60 employees.
“Now we have over 120 employees at the Police Department,” he said. “It’s a cramped, congested building, and we needed to expand the bathrooms (and) locker rooms.”
West Bloomfield Police Chief Michael Patton also weighed in on the project.
“The capital improvement project at the WBPD Station is proceeding essentially on time and on budget,” Patton stated via email. “Although our residents and other visitors to the Station may be experiencing some minor inconveniences, we are optimistic that when the project is complete our visitors will be welcomed into a new more service friendly environment.”
From Kaplan’s perspective, residents support public safety departments in the township, as evidenced by voting to approve previous millage increases.
“In terms of the 120, 123 employees who work at the Police Department, it’s important the community provide them with a safe and modern facility,” he said. “And another part of this is dispatch. … We take 911 calls for three other communities, and we need to have an up-to-date, modern dispatch center, which we finally will.”
Lawson thanked residents and township officials for their support.
“We did our due diligence, the township board did their due diligence,” he said. “This is a smart infrastructure upgrade that we desperately needed.”
